City of Basketball Love

Zach Drapkin (@ZachDrapkin)
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Andre Gibbs caught up on a lot of Netflix last season.

Having to deal with a torn ACL that ended his 2015-16 season before it started, the Philadelphia University senior had some time on his hands to spend watching a couple of his favorite television series.

“I was rehabbing a lot. I was watching Netflix a lot too,” Gibbs said. “The Office, that’s my favorite show. I often watched Making a Murderer, that was a good show also.”

It was difficult for Gibbs to cope with having to sit out an entire basketball season, but he made the most out of what turned into his redshirt year.

If anything, he did too much.

“He’s the hardest working kid you ever want to see. Once he was allowed to start rehabbing, actually, the trainers and the doctor had to pull back on him,” said Herb Magee, Philly U’s longtime head coach. “He was doing it more than he should have.”

Gibbs also did a lot more for the Rams than most in his position would have, doing whatever he could to help out the team. It was the simple things like rebounding for his teammates at shootarounds that made his response to the obstacle so remarkable.

He just couldn’t do without basketball.

“The toughest part of being out is being hungry to play. I love basketball, it’s in my DNA, so not being able to play really hurt,” he said. “It wasn’t a pleasure–it was tough sitting out–but I made it beneficial. Anything I could do to be a good teammate even though I wasn’t playing was something I was doing.”

The persistent 5-foot-9 guard spent the whole summer strengthening his body, the ultimate goal being to get back into top basketball form. Gibbs put in plenty of time rehabbing his knee as well as lifting weights, and he may now be in even better shape than he was prior to getting injured.

Magee certainly sees a difference.

“He’s bigger and stronger. He spent a lot of time in the weight room. So it’s really helped his game,” Magee said. “You see on the drives, when he gets to the rim now, he gets there with authority.”

That’s a great on-court sign for Gibbs, who has been a prominent player for the Rams since his rookie season in 2012-13, when he played a team-high 38.7 minutes per game and took home CACC Rookie of the Years honors.

He’s already a 1,000-point scorer and has started the year off on the right note, averaging 11.6 ppg through nine games. His influence in every phase of the game is crucial for Philly U.

“Having him back and combined with [Jordan DeCicco], who sat out a year because he was working on his entrepreneur adventure, it gives us a really good starting backcourt,” Magee said after the team’s 87-40 win over University of the Sciences on Thursday night. “What Andre can do is shoot the ball. And he did it tonight. And if he’s making shots like that, we’re a tough team to beat. He adds a lot to the team, plus he’s a great leader.”

Gibbs’s leadership and locker room presence have been invaluable to creating a positive, well-banded team atmosphere. It showed on Thursday, as the positive team spirit emanated from each and every player on the court.

“Me and Mike Louden are both captains so this setting by example, this coming here early before practice shooting, staying after late shooting, it just develops the team camaraderie,” he said. “We encourage each other and it’s a brotherhood, it honestly is.”

“He’s always been that way,” Magee added. “He’s a very quiet guy, but he leads by example. That’s the best way to put it.”

Leading the Rams on the court, Gibbs is far from quiet, constantly directing his teammates on defense as he sees fit. As the season progresses, his passion and senior influence will be key for a Philly U team that is currently 6-3 overall (3-1 CACC) but 1-3 in away games.

Comparing that mark to last year’s squad, which started off 7-1 and compiled a 23-9 final record, the Rams have a lot of work to do.

Right now, they’re just happy to have Gibbs back. It will be hard to follow up the senior seasons of Peter Alexis and T.J. Huggins, but Herb Magee’s guys are intent on making it back to the NCAA Tournament, something they've done plenty in his 50 years there.

With Gibbs back at the helm, they certainly have their best shot.